Marked

So our fall DTS began on September 23, our house is full once again! We have 13 new students at the base, ready to be MARKED by Christ! Before the students ever got here, we asked God what the theme for their DTS should be, and we felt it should be "Marked", with a question of what are you marked by, love or selfishness, faith or fear, victory or defeat? Our goal is ultimately to be marked by Jesus, that He would shine through all that we do!

We're coming to the close of our 4th week and I am amazed at all that has happened so far! Our first week was a lot of orientation as well as teachings on hearing the voice of God! We've had some great speakers, Ezra came and spoke on Biblical Restoration, and with that week so much freedom was brought! As one of my small group girls said "Wow this forgiveness stuff really works!" Releasing forgiveness to people who have hurt us is incredibly freeing and also incredibly hard, but already hearts are healing and people are becoming more whole in Christ! Last week Al came and spoke to us on Atonement and the Cross, why do we believe what we believe? It was an extremely challenging week in that he was digging with us through the scriptures, getting us to really think and look at what we believe! This week Bridgette is speaking on Relationships, how to have Godly, healthy relationships, how to interact with one another! She is talking about relationships from family to friends to romantic relationships, and really bringing truth to our skewed perspectives of how relationships should be!

Like I said the lectures have been great, but it makes it so much better that the students are really willing to jump into what they're learning! Walls are being torn down all over the place and it seems like everyone is just craving a change, craving more, not settling for anything less than what God wants! The students came in already being such worshipers and servants, but there's a growing fire in our prayer times and our ministry times because the students are genuinely excited about each thing and realize the impact that can be made!

It's been real busy, but amongst the busyness, God has really been speaking to me and is continuing to shape me! Not gonna lie, sometimes it's so hard and I feel like I'm walking through fire, but I know it is going to be more than worth it! I'm really learning to lean on God and I'm finally allowing him to be my strong tower as the storm is going crazy around me. I feel like I've never had to deal with so many things at one time! Learning how to deal with losing my best friend, when literally not a day goes by that I don't think about her, still learning how to be away from my family and be supportive at the same time! Planning menus, doing one on ones, dealing with my own heart, regrets, next steps! It's so much but I have this weird feeling of chaos and peace, I don't know that I fully understand it, but I know one thing and that is God is always GOOD and He is always FAITHFUL!
Good situations or bad, God is using them all to grow me! I want to be marked by Christ and I want it to shine through in every decision I make and how I handle every situation!

Sweet Souls

Every Thursday a group of us get to visit the nursing home down the road from our house. I never imagined I would love this ministry so much, it's never been something I'd really experienced before. The first time I went to the nursing home I about cried, my Granny was really sick and I couldn't help but thinking about her the whole time. My Granny passed not too long after that and in the process of dealing with it all, I really thought about the life she lived. So often I don't think about the lives people have lived, I just see them as they are now, but hearing stories of my Granny and remembering her made me think a lot! I've been back to the nursing home many times since then, and I now see everyone there through very different eyes. I don't just see sweet old ladies or sick people, but I know they all have so many stories to tell!

I've had the opportunity to sit with some of the ladies who live there, they love to share pictures and stories. They'll show me all their children and grandchildren and my favorite part is to hear about their husbands, it's obviously their favorite part too. I haven't heard one of them say a bad thing, one lady named Miss Betty gushes about her husband, she says "he was the best, every week at church when the pastor would ask who wanted to pray he would get up there and pray for everyone, it would take half an hour but he didn't miss a soul. He was a good man." I love to hear the moments that these women really hold precious in their hearts. I feel like I know a big piece of who they are just by the few stories they share with me. I feel like every time I talk with one of them I get a better glimpse of what's really important in life, what are those memories that they hold on to.

A couple weeks ago I met a lady named Miss Kathleen, I met her the day before her 90th birthday. She might have had 90 years behind her, but you would never know it, she was so young at heart! We walked into her room and she was looking through a photo book her family had her, she showed me all of her family, the place she used to live and all of her dogs! While we were talking a nurse walked past, and Miss Kathleen tells me her goal is to make that girl smile! She said everyone has a smile in them and she just wants to help it come out! I have literally known her for less than a month, but I think about the things she tells me and the way she lives her life a lot! She's not wrapped up in herself, she's always trying to bless someone else, to bring joy to them! I can just tell she's lived a very full life, and I really look up to her for it! 

Miss Kathleen and me.

All that to say,  I leave the nursing home each week feeling so joyful and ready to come back again! I feel so blessed to be a part of the lives of these women, and the Lord is constantly teaching me something new through each of these sweet souls!

India Outreach January-March 2011

Here is a glimpse of the most impactful moments of my DTS outreach in 2011. This was over a year ago and the Lord has done so much since, but this outreach was a huge part of why I am working in missions. It was also just the beginning of the adventure God has taken me on of finding who He really is and who I am in Him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryJykqUJR-E&feature=channel&list=UL&noredirect=1